Understanding of mystery nerve pain grows

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Article Date: 17 Aug 2003 - 0:00 PDT

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Scientists believe that they have come a step closer to understanding the severe 'neuropathic' pain that affects thousands of people in the UK alone.

This pain is caused by subtle nerve damage, in some cases making even the lightest touch result in agony.

Scientists at the National Institute of Health Sciences in Tokyo have unlocked some of the mystery behind this often excrutiating pain. Various physical conditions can appear to initiate the nerve damage that causes this pain, such as viral infections, surgery and diabetes.

These findings move us closer to creating new drugs to relieve the condition.